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22 December 2010

A clear view of the floor of Pu`u `Ō `ō crater and two 'a'ā lava channels branch off

Left. A clear view of the floor of Pu`u `Ō `ō crater. The light grey lava flows near the bottom of the photo were active today. Right. Multiple pahoehoe flows about 250 m (820 ft) from a breakout point on the Quarry flow lava tube above the pali.

Left. Two 'a'ā lava channels branch off from the new breakout point upslope (left, out of frame). Right. The flow front of the eastern (top) 'a'ā channel in the previous photograph.

9 December 2010

Multiple small channels of lava flow downslope and minor activity continues on the floor of Pu`u `Ō `ō

Left. Multiple small channels of lava flow downslope from a breakout point on the pali. There were several other breakouts producing similar flows upslope. Right. A close-up of the breakout point in the previous image.

Minor activity continues on the floor of Pu`u `Ō `ōcrater. The crater floor is often obscured by fume, but Kona winds allowed for a nice view today. The recent flows are light grey in color, concentrated in the east (top of photo) and west (behind the fume) ends of the crater.

2 December 2010

A new breakout began along the upper section of the TEB tube

Left. A new breakout began overnight on Nov 28-29 along the upper section of the TEB tube. The breakout continues to produce lava flows, creating a new rootless shield among the string of previously formed shields. Right. A close-up of the breakout point on the newly formed shield. The flow is moving from right to left from the breakout point until it branches in several directions near the center of the photograph.

Left. A gas-rich lava flow on the northwest margin of the new shield.Right. Due to the current activity above the pali, lava flows on the coastal plain, as well as the Puhi-o-Kalaikini ocean entry, are inactive.

18 November 2010

A wide angle shot of the current flow field showing Puhi-o-Kalaikini ocean entry

Left. Geologist changing the data card in a time-lapse camera on the western rim of Pu`u `Ō `ō. The lack of trade winds allowed for a clear view into the crater. Right. This overlay of a photograph, and a thermal image of the same area, highlights several active breakouts on the coastal plain. Comparing today's image to the composite taken on Oct 28, the breakouts are new, but most of the other features are unchanged.

Left. . Puhi-o-Kalaikini ocean entry is still a prominent feature along the coastline, and the lighter grey area west of the end of Highway 130 is the origin of recent surface flows. The outline of Pu`u `Ō `ō can also be seen on the horizon. Right. A similar wide shot of the flow field, incorporating more of the coastline west of the ocean entry. Hilina Pali is the cliff face in the background.Small lava channels enter the ocean along a section of the Puhi-o-Kalaikini lava delta.

10 November 2010

Left. Looking into the Halema`uma`u Overlook vent during a lava high stand. In the lower half of the vent, several glowing cracks in the crusted lava surface can be seen through the diffuse fume. The remaining portion of the Halema`uma`u Overlook fence is at the bottom of the photograph. Right. Small lava channels enter the ocean along a section of the Puhi-o-Kalaikini lava delta.

4 November 2010

An aerial view of Pu`u `Ō `ō, looking toward the southwest

An aerial view of Pu`u `Ō `ō, looking toward the southwest. Although the inside of the crater is shrouded in fume, a distinct plume can still be seen coming from the east wall. This vent has once again become the dominant heat source in Pu`u `Ō `ō since the cessation of flows in the crater several weeks ago.

28 October 2010

Quicktime movie showing a channelized flow

This Quicktime movie shows a channelized flow that broke out of the lava tube early this morning at the base of the pali, west of Kalapana. Even after traveling through the lava tube system for almost 10 kilometers (about 6.2 miles), the lava is sufficiently hot to be extremely fluid, and moves swiftly downslope. For scale, the channel is about 2 meters (about 2 yards) wide.

Composite image of the coastal plain near Kalapana

This composite image of the coastal plain near Kalapana combines a thermal image and a conventional photograph. The majority of lava is traveling through the lava tube system to the ocean and is not easily detectable in the image. Sometimes, however, the lava tubes do show a clear thermal signature. For example, several lines of high temperature delineate the lava tube just inland of the ocean entry. Active breakouts are shown by the yellow-white areas on the flow field. Today, there were two relatively small breakouts active. The large area of purple and red colors in the foreground shows the flows emplaced in July and August of this year. These recent flows are inactive but still warm.

Left. A vigorous but relatively small channelized breakout near the base of the pali began this morning around 4 am. The flow near the breakout point is pahoehoe (shiny appearance), whereas the middle and lower portions of the flow are 'a'ā (dull black color). Right. Close-up of the channelized breakout, showing the lava stream near the breakout point and the surrounding pahoehoe.

19 October 2010

Recent breakout on the coastal plain

The most recent breakout on the coastal plain, which began on October 15, is still active in several places along its southern margin. The lighter grey lava flows in the middle of the photograph are the extent of the latest activity. The flow is 550 m (1800 ft) long and runs parallel with the trace of Highway 130 (the road on the right side of the photograph). The majority of the flow is makai of the highway, but another 35 m (115 ft) of the highway was covered over the weekend.

6 October 2010

Quicktime movie showing Pu`u `Ō `ō producing spattering

This Quicktime movie shows the flow that began erupting in Pu`u `Ō `ō crater this morning. The primary vent for the flow was producing small pulsating spattering that had built a small rampart on its south side. The final portion of the video is shown at x10 speed with a wide view, and shows how the spattering vent is supplying the flow.

Summit and East Rift show spectacular views

Left. Near-vertical view into the eruptive vent inset within the southeast edge of Halema`uma`u Crater. The crusting, slowly circulating lava surface was about 115 m (375 ft) below the floor of Halema`uma`u.Right. A vent opening on the north side of the Pu`u `Ō `ō crater floor just after 6 am this morning. By 10:30 am, a lava lake up to 10 m (33 ft) deep had filled the eastern half of the crater.

Left. Another view of the lava lake, this one from the much lower western rim of Pu`u `Ō `ō.Right. A zoomed-in view of the spatter vent taken from the north rim of Pu`u `Ō `ō.

1 October 2010

A new breakout near Kalapana feeding the Puhi-o-Kalaikini ocean entry

Left. A new breakout started yesterday afternoon (9/30) near Kalapana. By this morning, the flow had nearly stopped, its front (shown here) barely creeping forward through grass and sparse forest.Right. The breakout was from the side of the lava tube feeding the Puhi-o-Kalaikini ocean entry a few hundred meters (yards) upslope from where the tube crosses Highway 130. The photo is taken from the crest of the tube, which forms a low ridge snaking through the flow field in this area. A portion of the breakout point is in the foreground, and the flow extends to the smoking kipuka in the background.

30 September 2010

Panorama of Pu`u `Ō `ō crater from the south rim of Pu`u `Ō `ō cone. Active lava flows (light gray) cover much of the crater floor and are erupting from the degassing vent at the far left.

Left. Close-up view of the erupting vent in Pu`u `Ō `ō crater. Lava is not visible because it is going directly into tubes beneath the crusted surface to the right and feeding small lava flows near the flow front.Right. View of the flow field above the Pulama pali. The Quarry flow rootless shields are to the left; the TEB shield is behind and just right of center; Pu`u `Ō `ō is behind and to the left of the TEB shield (the light-colored tephra of Pu`u `Ō `ō cone is just above and left of center; the plume from Halema`uma`u at Kilauea's summit is barely visible behind and to the right of Pu`u `Ō `ō.

Left. The Puhi-o-Kalaikini ocean entry and delta. The light colored lava on the delta behind the plume is from recent surface flows.Right. A close-up view of the lava stream as seen through a lava tube skylight near the top of the Pulama pali. The lava is moving from right to left, and skylight opening is about 1 m (3 ft) across.

28 September 2010

This Quicktime movie captures a short period of successive littoral explosions at the Puhi-o-Kalaikini ocean entry, where lava exiting the tube enters the water. The explosions were throwing ejecta up to about 20 meters. The video was taken with a high zoom factor from the top of the sea cliff, well away from the entry point and not on the lava delta.

One of the many littoral explosions occurring at the ocean entry today.

23 September 2010

Halema`uma`u maintains same basic geometry since February

The lava lake at Halema`uma`u has maintained the same basic geometry since February of this year. This thermal image was taken during a helicopter overflight, and shows the lava surface deep within the vent cavity. The lava surface is kidney-shaped and approximately 60 x 90 meters in size, and situated about 170 meters below the rim of the vent cavity. Lava upwells at the north margin of the lake (upper-right), and downwells at an area of vigorous spattering along the south margin (bright white area in lower-left).

21 September 2010

The lava lake deep within the vent cavity at Halema`uma`u crater remains active, with ongoing degassing and circulation of lava. This Quicktime movie shows the view in the vent today with a thermal camera, and the video is set at x4 speed to better show the slowly moving lava surface. Today, the lava surface was moving at a rate of about 18 meters per minute (or about 0.7 miles per hour).

9 September 2010

Puhi-o-Kalaikini ocean entry produces a medium size steam plume

A wide shot of the coastal plain showing the Puhi-o-Kalaikini ocean entry in the foreground, producing a medium size steam plume. Fuming areas on the hillside mark the trace of the current lava tube, which confines the lava until it ultimately reaches the ocean. The road that abruptly ends is Highway 130, which currently hosts the County viewing area.

7 September 2010

Left. Over the past several days, the lava surface within the vent in Halema`uma`u has occasionally, and temporarily, reached to within about 115 m (375 ft) below the floor of Halema`uma`u Crater, as seen in this photo. During these high-lava stands, the gas plume is generally fairly wispy, providing the rare naked-eye view of the lava surface. The far (north) side of the vent is still profoundly overhung. Rocks that fall from the rim of the vent at the top of the image strike the lava lake out of sight of the camera below the vent rim at the bottom of the image.Right. The largely crusted surface of the lava lake in the Halema`uma`u vent slowly moves from north (top of the photo) to south. During high lava stands, like that shown here, this circulation is so slow as to be nearly imperceptible to the naked eye.

Kīlauea's active summit vent is on the southeast side of Halema`umau Crater. In this photo, the floor of Halema`uma`u stretches out beyond the vent, and the summit of Kīlauea Volcano is at upper right. The observation tower at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is the highest bump in the photo at Kīlauea's summit.

3 September 2010

A look into a not so fumy Pu`u `Ō `ō and the Puhi-o-Kalaikini entry continues a large plume

Pu`u `Ō `ō was not as fumy today as usual, allowing decent views of the crater floor. The Pu`u `Ō `ō webcam, GPS station, and other equipment are the white dots on the crater rim.

Left. The Puhi-o-Kalaikini entry continues to put up a large plume just west of Kalapana Gardens. No active lava flows have been reported on coastal flats in nearly 2 weeks.Right. The small western entry point at Puhi-o-Kalaikini stopped this week, leaving just main entry point at the central tip of the delta. The delta is now 985 m (3230 ft) long and reaches up to about 170 m (560 ft) out into the ocean from the old sea cliff. It has a surface area of 28 acres.

17 August 2010

Breakout reached the end of Highway 130 and lava slowly oozing from the edge of the flow consumes a piece of shrubbery

Left. By August 17, the breakout which started on August 16 had reached the end Highway 130. The flows, however, had slowed considerably and were making little forward progress.Right. Lava was only slowly oozing from the edge of the flow adjacent to the road. In this photo, a piece of shrubbery is slowly consumed by the lava.

16 August 2010

Lava burns through thick brush near Kalapana Gardens

Left. Lava burns through thick brush just north of Highway 130, near Kalapana Gardens.Right. Close up of the previous view.

14 August 2010

Plume from the Puhi-o-Kalaikini ocean entry is visible from Highway 130

The plume from the Puhi-o-Kalaikini ocean entry is easily visible from Highway 130, on the hill descending towards Kalapana. Just in front of the ocean entry plume, the houses of Kalapana Gardens subdivision can be seen on the 1990 lava flows.

13 August 2010

The Puhi-o-Kalaikini ocean entry, which is almost 1 km (0.6 mi) long, continues to host a medium size steam plume near the center of the delta. Hidden from view in this photograph, another small plume to the west rises from the same delta, where a stream of lava enters the ocean.

6 August 2010

Thermal/visible image of the Kalapana area

This composite image of the Kalapana area combines a thermal image and a normal photograph. The areas of recent, but inactive, lava are shown by red and purple colors, while the yellow and white colors show areas of active breakouts.

Left. Steep view looking west into Pu`u `Ō `ō crater. The dominant degassing, obvious in this photo, is from a hole on the eastern wall of the crater. Right. View looking toward the ocean entries in the distance. The 'Ili'ili entry is marked by the tiny plume to the left. The very broad Puhiokalaikini entry comprises the rest of the plumes along the shoreline. The tube system feeding the ocean entries is delineated by the fume in the foreground.

Left. View looking southwest across the Kalapana Gardens subdivision toward the ocean entries in the background. The slightly lighter-colored surface just past the houses and topped by burned trees marks the area recently covered by lava. Right. Close-up view of the Puhiokalaikini entry.

Close-up view of the 'Ili'ili entry.

5 August 2010

Puhiokalaikini ocean entry continued to build its delta

The western ocean entry, named Puhiokalaikini, has continued to build its delta to the west. Over the past day, lava filled in this small bay at a remarkable rate. The promontory in the upper right corner of the photograph hosted a popular fishing spot.

Left. In addition to filling in several small bays, the lava infiltrated small caves in the seacliff as well. Just a week ago this was a blowhole that occasionally shot seawater high into the air. Fresh lava, visible at the bottom of the pit, has since filled in the cave connecting the blowhole to the sea. Right. The Puhiokalaikini entry also continued to expand eastward, as small pahoehoe toes advanced on the new black sand beach below the seacliff.

3 August 2010

Awesome views of ocean entry deltas near Kalapana and `Ili`ili

Left. View of the western edge of the western ocean entry delta near Kalapana.Right. View of lava dripping into the ocean on the western edge of the `Ili`ili ocean entry delta

2 August 2010

A HVO geologist photographs a small breakout and a pāhoehoe toe oozes onto the road

Left. An HVO geologist photographs a small breakout covering the last stretch of exposed asphalt near the intersection of highways 130 and 137, just west of the current County lava viewing area. Right. A pāhoehoe toe oozes onto the road, igniting the asphalt and nearby brush.

Eruption-viewing opportunities change constantly, so refer to this page
often. Those readers planning a visit to Kilauea or Mauna Loa volcanoes
can get much useful information from Hawai`i
Volcanoes National Park.

The URL of this page is http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/kilauea/update/images.html
Contact: hvowebmaster@usgs.gov
Updated: 22 December 2010 (pnf)